Packing.



F. H. BROWN.

PACKING.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 27, 1914.

Patented Dep. 8, 1914.

STATES PATENT carica.

-FBAN'KLIN H. BROWN, 0F PHILADELPHIA., PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB P. WILSON" 'ADLER, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

' PACKING.

Specmcation of Lettera Patent.

To all/whom t may concern: y

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN H. BROWN,

a citizen of the United States, residing at State of Philadel hia, county of Philadelphia, and ennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement Ain Packing, of which the followin is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to packing for pis ton rods, valve rods and other parts of engines and machines working through stuffing boxes.

The object of the invention is to provide a packing which will present a smooth' antifriction surface to the moving parts with which it contacts under the most severe conditions of prolonged service and will be durable and lasting, and which is also capable of bein embodied in a form that will withstand t e highest pressure.

A preferred embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an enlarged plan view, partly broken away of a smgle packing ring. Fig. 2 is'a cross-sectional view of the packing on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section `of a stuffing box showing the packing in position.

a represents the stuiiing box, b the packi ing gland and c a piston rod. The packing,

which is made in spiral coils, is preferably out into separate broken rings, each oof which has approximating beveled opposite ends, yas shown in Fig. l; and a series of these rings are arranged in the stufling box in the usual way, as shown in Fig. 3.

The packing comprises a body d composed of a woven asbestos cloth inclosing a tube e of cotton or other readily combustible material, which in turn incloses a dry, flaky, homogeneous lubricator f, and also (preferably, but not necessarily) a ring g of rubber or other elastic material arranged nearest the outer or convex wall of the packing ring. As I more particularly contemplate the use of the packing under high pressure conditions, I prefer to employ asbestos cloth as the medium forming the' body of the packing. The asbestos cloth entirely incloses an protects the tube e and its contained lubricator f except at the ends of the broken ring, Where the lubricator `isnot protected or inclosed bythe asbestos cloth. I prefer that the tube e shall also be an o en-ended tube. The substance ,that emp o y as' a` lubricator is either graphite or mica, or a mixture of these ma-` terials, which is unmixed, substantially and preferably entireliy, with any foreign substances, either so ids such as partlcles of lead or other metal, or liquid or semi-liquid lubricants such as oil or tallow; the importance of practically excluding such substances being hereinafter set forth. Such materials as soapstone and talc could not be used in substitution for graphite and mica, because their adhesive qualities Yare weak and they would soon wash out Vof the packing.

As is well understood, packing rings of the general class to which my invention belongs are initially coated with graphite before being placed in the stuffing box, but this initial coating very speedily wears away, and it therefore erforms no measurably useful service. n a packing constructed in accordance with my invention, the application of the usual compressin force to the packing squeezes the centaine graphite or mica, and, forcing it to take the line of least resistance, causes it to exude from the open ends of the ring, whence it is distributed throughout the interior of the stuffing box and particularly along the surfaces of the packing that are subjected to friction. On the other hand, when the cotton tube inclosing the graphite or mica is burnt away in use, as happens in the presence of a great degree of heat, the graphite will work out due to the increase in the internal volume of the tube. In other words, decreasing or increasing the internal vol- Patenteaneotaloia i ume of the tube produces the same effect, the graphite or mica escaping in one case by structed in accordance with 4my invention will retain all its original qualities for a prolonged period. On the vone hand, it

vsuers no deterioration until it has been used for a time greatly exceeding the life of the ordinary packing; and on the other hand it exhibits no change in essential characteristics after prolonged use, but continues to perform all the functions performed in the early stages of its use until the practical efficiency limit of the asbestos cloth, which llimit is, of course, much extended by the effective lubrication afforded by the graphite or mica.

l am aware that it has been proposed to inclose, in a packing body, graphite intermixed or closely associated with metallic particles, or even sheet metal; but such nonhomogeneous substance in time becomes converted into a form of rigid metal packing and loses entirely, or in large measure, its original properties. v

l am also aware that it has been pro posed to add to compositions similar to the above, oil, grease, vtallow and the like; but such substances perform. `.their intended function only temporarily, and by soon burning out hasten the disintegration of the packing.

l am also aware that it has been proposed to inclosey a mixture of graphite land lead in a porous 4tube with a view ofl causing the contents to be forced out through the walls of the holder; but `the leakage of the lubricant is at yfirst excessive and then deficient, after'which the lubricant is converted into practicall a solid ring as aforesaid.

I am also aware that itis known to use an outerenvelop of cotton `yarn inclosing an inner tube -of cotton .wick which in turn incloses soapstone, talc or .some like substance; but in such a packing not only does the lubricating material possess weak adhesive properties, causing itto'soonwash out of theV packing, but the inclosing double tube is destructible as an entirety. Consequently this packing would have a yvery short life.-

I am also aware that it hasbeen proposed Luanne in an outer envelop of antifriction metal and brass; but the metal shavings perform no lubricating function, while the outer tube is destructible, as before stated, when subjected to an elevated temperature.

@ther expedients having in view automatic and effective lubrication have been proposed, but they have not met the desideratum sought by applicant of attaining that end without sacrifice of durability and without alteration of the original properties.'

Having now fully described my invention, what l claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: i

1. A. packing comprising a core of graphite, an inclosing open-ended tube of relatively thin and destructible material and an outer open-ended envelop of fibrous inoombustible wear-resisting material.

9.. A packing comprising a core ofv i FRANN H. BROWN. y 1i)Vitnesses M. HAMILTON, E. E. WALL. 

